Life with Cornish Pixies: Part 3
by StarMaiden
Summary: Part 3. A long letter from Madam Penny.


**Life With Cornish Pixies, Part 3  
  
**A/N: Ah! The long-awaited Cornish Pixie insertion! Well, I hope everyone enjoys this, and PLEASE review . . . and please send me your best wishes that I don't get 'flu. Oh yea -- 'nother note -- yes, I am into making new characters (girls) using boy character's girl name. That explains Colleen Creevey.   
  


  
**_Summary:   
So far --  
  
_**Pt. 1 -- Gillie-Lu Lockhart (Gildarette Lucia) is introduced. She goes to Hogwarts in her second year -- she's Harry's age. She and her best friend Susan get permission to go to Hogsmeade, but Susan disappears.  
  
Pt. 2 -- Gillie finds Susan at the 3 Broomsticks, having a Butterbeer with a charming boy who calls himself Tom Riddle. It ends after the Halloween party, when they see Mrs. Norris Petrified.**  
  
Pt. 3 begins here!!!  
**  
"...Just this way, we'll head to my office..." I heard my father say. I ran. I didn't need HIM, of all people, to find me here. Barreling into the Ravenclaw common room, I flung myself onto a poofy armchair, half-crying. What was wrong with Susan? Who WAS Tom Riddle, anyway? "Find out next in the next episode of GillieWater -- Life with Gildarette," I said, making a feeble attempt at a joke. It didn't work, and Colleen Creevey, a first year, stared at me before pulling out her camera. I left the room quickly.  
  
That night, I went to bed, but couldn't sleep. I tried everything -- opening my window, talking to Susan, and even more. I was just about to give up and take one of Gilderoy Lockharts Pills for Sleeping Genius (I'm convinced they decrease my IQ 100%!) when a large owl flew in my window. It was carrying a GIGANTIC package. It read: "To my sweet Gillie, with love from Grandpa."  
  
I opened it tenatively. I was right to do so: inside were 10 Cornish Pixies. The note said, "Don't worry, Gil. I've specially trianed them. They won't misbehave. Love you."  
  
Once the cage was open, the Cornish Pixies began to wreak havoc. They'd torn up my five best robes, tried to break my wand in half, and ripped a spellbook by the time I found my voice. "Pixius Freezius!" I yelled. Luckily, the pixies obeyed. I scoooped them up, put them back in the box, and was about to write a note to Grandpa when a last pixie beckoned to me.   
  
Curious, I followed it. It lead me down the hall to the trophy room. Cheeping in its language, it pointed to the award for Tom Riddle and made multiple faces. Finally I looked at it and gasped.  
  
Tom Riddle had attended Hogwarts 50 years ago!   
  


*** * *  
  
**

The next day, I tried to warn Susan, who was her old self again. "Who's Tom?" she asked vaguely.   
  
I tried to tell her about the incident in Hogsmeade, but she only answered, "You're being a silly-Gillie again. I never left your side in Hogsmeade."  
  
"Susan!" I was even more alarmed then I'd been the night before. I knew that I had to find help, but who? This was obviously Dark Arts and the teacher (besides being my father) was too stuck-up to listen. I was shy about approaching Dumbledore. Finally I wrote a letter to Madam Penny. I described everything that had happened, and then wrote:  
  
_...I wish I'd paid more attention in Defense. What kind of spell is she under, and can I break it? Who is Tom Riddle? Madam Penny, I'm really worried. Something is wrong with Susan.  
  
Love,  
Gillie  
  
_With the letter, I sent a box back to Grandpa containing 9 Cornish Pixies. (I'd decided to keep the beckoner). I anxiously awaited a reply from Madam Penny.  
  


*** * *  
  
**

Hardly anything happened for another month. Then, two things at once! Harry Potter fell off of his broom in a Quidditch accident, after a Bludger had broken his arm. Dad tried to fix it and ended up de-boning the arm instead. I could barely show my face for three weeks.   
  
Later that same day, Colin Creevey (Colleen's twin brother) was found Petrified, in the same state that Mrs. Norris was in. When we visited the scene, Susan got nasty to me again. I could barely stand it, but instead sat on my hands and waited for Madam Penny's letter.  
  
It came a week later. I hurriedly tore open the envelope and removed the letter. It read:  
  
_Dear Gillie,  
Your letter frightened me beyond belief -- and I fear very little. Gillie, you aren't safe at Hogwarts. Tom Riddle obviously is holding a very strong spell over Susan. Here's all that I know about Tom Riddle.  
  
*He attened school at Hogwarts 50 years ago.  
  
*He is (quite obviously) a ghost now.  
  
*To be such a strong ghost, he must have a source of power.  
  
*The power source must be at or near Hogwarts, the strongest center of magic in the world.  
  
*Tom Riddle must be causing the trouble at Hogwarts. Susan was nasty to you when she was with Tom, wasn't she? Then she was nasty at the site of Mrs. Norris's Petrification and ditto for Colin Creevey.   
  
I know one more thing about Tom Riddle. I'll write it in invisible ink so no one can see it.  
  
Voldemort was once known as Tom Marlvoro Riddle. He attended school at Hogwarts fifty years ago. Gillie, I"m not supposed to know this, but when I was at Hogwarts, I overheard Professor Dumbledore talking to Professor McGonagall. She was very young then, only in her twenties, and the Chamber of Secrets had been opened three years ago. Tom Riddle wasn't at Hogwarts anymore. Dumbledore was showing her a tiny scrap of paper left in the boy's dorm. It said "Tom Riddle... I am Lord Voldemort. Listen and fear."   
  
Gillie, won't you consider coming back to Dovecote for a while? I really don't think you're safe at Hogwarts. If Voldemort is there -- well. I just don't want you to be in any danger.   
  
Madam Penny  
  
Potions Mistress  
_


End file.
